Chapter 116: Childhood Shadows

"How many times have I told you? You need to stop bragging!" Qin Wanru was already irritable about the uncertain future of the Chu family, and Zu An's words only added fuel to the fire. If it weren't for the crowd, she might have completely lost her temper. "I don't have time for your nonsense right now. We'll settle this later when we get back!"

Rage from Qin Wanru: +999!

With that, she pulled Chu Huanzhao away. Chu Zhongtian also looked displeased but said nothing, following them to give his daughter some final instructions.

Zu An looked dejected, wondering what was wrong with the world. When he lied, everyone believed him completely, but when he told the truth, no one did?

Life was truly as lonely as snow!

And Father-in-law, you're not pulling your weight! Qin Wanru is always so angry. You should put in more effort at night to help her vent some of that frustration, or I'll be the one suffering every time.

Just then, Chu Chuyan's cool voice sounded in his ear: "I know you're not content with your current situation and want to achieve something to prove yourself, to make Father and Mother see you in a new light. But you really don't have to go about it this way. Many things require you to act within your limits, otherwise, you might achieve the opposite of what you intend."

Although her words were veiled, their meaning was quite clear. She obviously thought he was bragging.

"Oh," Zu An replied, too lazy to explain, knowing no one would believe him anyway.

"How did you know that person was Wu Di just now?" Chu Chuyan couldn't help but ask.

"I guessed," Zu An shrugged.

"You guessed?" Chu Chuyan frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer.

"Yeah, I just thought the name 'Di Wu' sounded a bit odd, and considering the Wu family was backing the Yuan family, a thought popped into my head: 'Could that person be Wu Di?' So I tried calling out, and it turned out I guessed correctly." Zu An couldn't possibly tell her about the keyboard rage points, so he just made up an excuse to fool her.

To his surprise, Chu Chuyan nodded. "I see. I didn't expect you to help so much by accident."

Zu An was beyond exasperated. Every time he told the truth, no one believed him, but they readily accepted any random excuse he made up.

"Cough, cough~" Suddenly, Chu Chuyan started coughing, raising a handkerchief to her mouth.

Zu An, sharp-eyed, noticed a crimson stain on her handkerchief and was startled. "Are you hurt?"

Chu Chuyan raised a hand to stop him. "It's nothing, just a minor injury. Don't make a fuss."

Seeing her face three shades paler than usual, Zu An knew it was far more than a minor injury. He couldn't help but declare angrily, "How dare the Yuan family and Wu family bully my wife? I'll make them regret it later!"

Chu Chuyan: "..."

She didn't know what to say, so she simply turned her attention to the stage to watch her sister's match.

Chu Huanzhao's opponent was Yuan Wenji, Yuan Wendong's cousin. Although his cultivation wasn't as high as his brother's, he possessed mid-third-grade strength. Theoretically, Chu Huanzhao had little hope of victory. However, with her Weeping Whip and her father's recent personal guidance, she might still have a chance.

Compared to the anxious Chu family, Yuan Wendong on the opposite side looked completely relaxed. He had initially expected his side to dominate the first eight matches, so he had planned to lose this one to ensure the final match would take place as scheduled, without a winner being decided too early.

Who knew Wu Di would have an accident and actually lose to Chu Chuyan? Hmph, a dignified sixth-grade expert losing to a fifth-grade one was simply pathetic! How could he even call himself Wu Di?

Since Wu Di lost, and the Yuan family was now trailing 3-4, they absolutely had to win this match to tie the score and proceed to the final round.

Glancing at Zu An across the way, he sneered inwardly. "You've been keeping a low profile for so long, surely intending to make a splash today, right? Too bad for you, you've run into me. Soon, everyone will see that trash remains trash. You will regret repeatedly provoking me."

At this moment, the spectators in the training grounds gazed at the two figures on the stage, murmuring amongst themselves:

"I can't believe the Second Miss of the Chu family is also so beautiful."

"Of course. If her elder sister is so beautiful, how could her younger sister not be?"

"I heard the Second Miss Chu ranks ninth among the top ten beauties in the academy!"

"In my opinion, she's still too young. Give her a few more years to fully blossom, and she'll definitely be even more beautiful."

"I actually think this age is perfect. Even younger would be better."

"You pervert! Get away from us!"

...

Listening to the faint murmurs from the surroundings, Yuan Wenji on the stage sneered inwardly. Only he knew the true devil hidden beneath the young girl's beautiful exterior.

Memories of being bullied by her in childhood surfaced uncontrollably: having his pocket money stolen, being beaten, and even once being stripped of his pants by her and her group of followers. The devilish grin on her face as she stood over him with hands on her hips had caused him to wake up from nightmares countless times...

In the past, he dared not retaliate because she was a duke's daughter, but now with the Wu family's backing, he no longer had those reservations. Especially today, on the fighting stage, he could openly strike back.

"Second Miss Chu, we meet again." Yuan Wenji smiled triumphantly. He had deliberately avoided her for years, harboring a belief in revenge, which fueled his persistent, arduous training. Unfortunately, limited by his innate talent, his achievements were destined to be modest, but they should be more than enough to deal with this person.

"Who are you?" Chu Huanzhao paused, bewildered.

Yuan Wenji's breath hitched, and he was filled with rage. This woman didn't remember him? He had been bullied so terribly by her as a child, and she actually didn't remember him!

He wanted to tell her everything, but reason prevailed, making him give up the idea. After all, he intended to use this opportunity for revenge later, and he didn't want to give anyone cause for criticism.

In truth, even if he had spoken, it wouldn't have mattered. Chu Huanzhao had bullied so many people as a child; she wouldn't remember him...

Chu Huanzhao was about to ask again when her father's voice reached her, reminding her to focus and calm down. She gripped the Weeping Whip tightly. Just as the official announced the start, she flicked her wrist, and the Weeping Whip struck out with a sonic boom towards her opponent.

Chu Chuyan watched, nodding discreetly. Although her younger sister's cultivation wasn't high, she had spent years using the Weeping Whip everywhere... bullying men and women, so her skill with the whip was quite impressive.

Yuan Wenji, however, was well-prepared. He dodged with a roll and then charged directly at her. When facing a long weapon like a whip, close-quarters combat was naturally the best strategy.

Chu Huanzhao had already received her father's advice. She retreated step by step, consistently maintaining her distance from him.

Yuan Wenji maneuvered and dodged, but eventually, one whip strike couldn't be avoided, accidentally hitting his arm.

"Ow!"

Yuan Wenji leaped up in pain. The agony was truly unbearable; he felt as if someone were scraping his bones with an awl.

The Chu family members rejoiced, all aware of the Weeping Whip's power. If he took a few more strikes, there probably wouldn't be a need to continue the match; the enemy would simply be in too much pain and faint.

Heeding her father's reminder, Chu Huanzhao's hand didn't stop, sending whip strikes, one after another, towards her opponent.

"Did you really think I came unprepared?" Yuan Wenji suddenly retrieved a shield from his back. It didn't look very large at first, but somehow, he quickly transformed it into a full-body shield that blocked his front.

Chu Zhongtian sat bolt upright, muttering to himself, "No wonder the quality of weapons produced by the Yuan family improved so much recently. It seems they truly found a powerful runemaster."

This shield must also be the work of that runemaster, capable of freely expanding and collapsing.

At this point, Chu Huanzhao suddenly found herself in peril. No matter how skilled she was with her long whip, her opponent was using a static defense against her dynamic attacks, directly guarding himself with the shield and steadily advancing. She had no way to counter him.

Qin Wanru nervously clutched her husband's hand. "It seems our opponent was well-prepared."

Chu Zhongtian nodded with a grim expression. "Indeed. I've suspected it before, and now it's confirmed: there's a traitor in the Chu family who leaked our match order. That's why our opponents could target us everywhere, even preparing a countermeasure for Huanzhao's Weeping Whip."

"Who could it be?!" Qin Wanru glanced towards their own camp. At this moment, she harbored suspicions, and everyone seemed like a potential culprit.

"We'll investigate thoroughly when we get back," Chu Zhongtian closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Today, we are certainly doomed. But perhaps this is for the best; it will make us fully vigilant."

"But the cost is too great," Qin Wanru said, knowing the impact of losing the weapons market on the Chu family. "Perhaps we should let Huanzhao persevere a bit longer. There might be a turning point."

Chu Zhongtian's face showed hesitation, but he eventually nodded. After all, he also didn't want the Chu family to lose its centuries-long monopoly on the weapons market.

On the stage, Yuan Wenji had already closed the distance sufficiently. Suddenly, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he rolled forward close to the ground, swiftly closing within three feet of his opponent.

Chu Huanzhao was greatly alarmed and hurriedly threw a punch. However, her cultivation was already inferior to his, and one hand was occupied with the whip, rendering it unusable. How could she possibly be his match?

Her left hand was quickly caught by her opponent, who then unleashed a sudden burst of primal energy!

Chu Huanzhao screamed as her left hand was instantly dislocated.

Chu Zhongtian was greatly alarmed and immediately stood up. "We surrender this round!"

Just as he spoke, Yuan Wenji had already delivered a full-powered punch, imbued with years of accumulated resentment, squarely into Chu Huanzhao's lower abdomen.

Ugh!

Chu Huanzhao cried out, spitting a mouthful of fresh blood as she flew backward.

Chu Zhongtian's figure blurred as he caught his daughter, immediately tending to her injuries with no thought for anything else.

A crowd gathered around her, and Zu An, unable to get through, turned back to look coldly at Yuan Wenji. "We had already conceded. Why did you strike so heavily?"

Yuan Wenji was already feeling guilty, and intimidated by Zu An's presence, he stammered, unable to speak for a moment.

At that moment, Yuan Wendong, from the other side, spoke up: "As a common person, it's no wonder you don't understand the nature of duels between cultivators. Victory or defeat in a cultivator's battle often hangs by a thread. Furthermore, we just witnessed the Eldest Miss Chu defeat a sixth-grade master, an opponent beyond her rank. Who knows if the Second Miss also had some hidden skills she hadn't used yet? It's perfectly normal for my cousin to lose his sense of proportion in his concern. Who would have thought the Second Miss Chu would be so weak? Alas, she's far inferior to her elder sister."

Yuan Wenji also recovered his composure then. "That's right. I was just too eager to win, and I was so engrossed in the fight that I didn't hear Duke Mingyue concede."

"Didn't hear?" Chu Zhongtian was so infuriated he almost laughed. By this point, he had confirmed that his second daughter's life was not in danger. He looked up at the figure on the stage. "Are you questioning whether my eighth-grade cultivation level can produce a sound you can hear?"

An inexplicable aura spread outwards, causing Yuan Wenji to swallow hard, tremble all over, and unconsciously take a step back.

"Eighth-grade is truly impressive, isn't it?" At this moment, Wu Wei had unknowingly appeared before him. "Matters concerning the younger generation should be handled by them. What's the meaning of you bullying a junior?"